Amazing Healthy Discoveries

In my efforts to lose weight I have been experimenting in the kitchen...a lot....and you wont believe what I've found!

1.  You can turn bananas into ice cream!

Fake Healthy Ice Cream

4 bananas (sliced and frozen)
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (chunky or creamy)
2 Tbsp Cocao Powder

Put the bananas in a blender or food processor.  Use the ice chopping setting and blend and blend and blend.  You will likely have to stop and scrape the sides a few times.  Keep going and if you are patient it will turn into a creamy consistency.  Stir in the other ingrediants.  Voila!  Seriously I loved this so much.


2.  Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Got this recipe off pinterest.  I'll post the real recipe and then my modifications.

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I only used 1/3 and they were mini - choc. flavor gets more spread out)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey ( I used 2 Tbsp.)

Stir in bowl.  Press into balls.  Store in fridge.  SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!  They are only 50 calories each depending on how big you make them.  My problem is stopping after 1 or 2.


3.  Energy Breakfast Smoothie

1 pkg Carnation Instant Breakfast Mix
2 cups almond milk
1 frozen banana
10 almonds dry roasted with sea salt
6 ice cubes

Blend.  Drink.  Enjoy.  This makes enough for two people.  I was seriously not hungry all day.  And it was yummy.  Almond milk is great for smoothies - who knew?

Yeehaw!
Shannon

Syrup time is here!

Apple Cider Syrup

3 cups sugar
6 T. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
6 cups apple cider
6 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup butter

Mix all together.  Bring to a boil stirring almost constantly.  Roiling boil for 2 min. 


Vanilla (or caramel) Syrup

2 sticks butter melted 
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 T. light corn starch
2 T. vanilla
1 T. baking soda

Use large saucepan.  Boil butter, buttermilk, sugar, corn syrup.  After roiling boil one minute take off heat.  Add vanilla and baking soda.  Serve. 

To carmalize simmer on medium low heat for 30 min. 

Chicken and Squash Soup

Perfect for Fall!

Another recipe from pinterest that turned out absolutely delicious only this one is healthy.  ;)

Ingredients:

1 squash (the recipe called for butternut, I used acorn)
Chicken (I used thawed chicken thighs)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatos
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
parsley
bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

- Steam the squash:  Cut it in half and place it in a glass dish cut side down with a cup of water.  Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.  When done mash one side of the squash and cut the other half into chunks for the soup.
- Pour the chicken broth into a pan.  Place the chicken in the broth and cover.  Cook on Medium-High heat for 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Pour chicken and broth into bowl for later use.
- Put a little drizzle of oil in the pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft.
- Add the broth, the mashed squash, the tomatoes, and the quinoa.  Cook over medium heat for 15 min.
- Add the chicken, the chunks of squash, the kidney beans and cook for 5-8 min.  Add the parsley and bay leaves.
- Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.

This kept really well for a week and then it was gone.  Enjoy!

Shannon

Nutella No Bake Cheesecake

Nutella No Bake Cheesecake

Hold the phone!  This may be my new favorite dessert of all time!  Yes I got it off of pinterest but unlike many other recipes this one was good Jeff and I finished the whole thing in almost two days.  (The blog where this came from is called mybakingaddiction.com.)  And it took less then 10 min to make.  SWEET!

Step 1:  Make an oreo crust by crushing 12 cookies and mixing in 3 T butter.  Press this crust into your serving dishes.  (The recipe suggested using pretty individual cups but I just made one big thing in pyrex.)

Step 2: With a hand mixer beat together 8 oz. of cream cheese (because I ended up eating the whole dang thing I wish I had used low fat) and 2/3 cup nutella until there are no streaks.  Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Step 3: Fold in 8 oz of cool whip until well mixed and spread on top of crust.

Step 4: Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Seriously so good.  I think I will make this for myself on my next birthday.  :)

Shannon

Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection Rolls
(aka easy-peasy cinnamon rolls)

When I was in the primary in West Seattle we made these for Easter time.  My family loves them so we have them often. 

You will need:
Crescent rolls
Large marshmallows
Cinnamon
Sugar
Melted Butter

Warning: these are very gooey so I usually put aluminum foil over the baking sheet for easier clean up. 

First, unroll the crescent rolls.  Take a marshmallow and dip it in the melted butter.  Roll it in the cinnamon and sugar until well coated.  Put the marshmallow on an unrolled crescent roll and roll the dough around the marshmallow pinching the sides closed.  When they are all ready, bake following the normal package directions.  (Which I think is 350 for 9 to 11 min, but check.)  The marshmallow will melt, leak out, goo everywhere, etc. 

Here is why they are called resurrection rolls:  The marshmallow is the body.  You embalm it in oil (butter) and rub it with spices (cinnamon and sugar).  Then you wrap it in the swaddling clothes (the dough) and put it in the tomb (the oven).  When you open it up the body will be gone.  There will be an empty space in the roll.  The primary kids loved it.  My family just likes eating them.  Enjoy. 

Shannon

Indian Style Veggies and Rice

Indian-Style Vegetables and Rice

I used to think that I didn't like curry.  I have since expanded my horizons and know there is a time when curry is just the thing to warm up a cold rainy day.  This was my first attempt at Indian Food and I must say I thought it was great.  Jeff thought is was good he wanted to eat it all himself.  Brian thought it neither looked nor smelled good so I'm not sure if he even tried it.  Warning: the kitchen smelled like curry the whole next day.  Or maybe that was because Jeff had two more bowls finishing off the leftovers.  This recipe is from a cookbook called Vegetarian Easy Dinners that I picked up at a garage sale.  This is a beautiful golden color full of veggies.  It warms you up from the inside out. 

Ingredients:
Rice (the recipe calls for brown, I used white)
1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup water (I ended up adding more)
1/2 cup apple juice
2 medium potatos, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 carrot, cut into slices
2 T soy sauce
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger (they wanted fresh, I used dried)
1/2 tsp. cardamom (I didn't have this so I skipped it)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups cauliflower
1 medium zucchini, cut into slices
1 cup frozen peas

1.  Coat a large pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until onion is tender.
2.  Add water, apple juice, potatoes, carrot, soy sauce, curry, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 min or until potatoes can be pierced easily.
3.  Add the cauliflower, zucchini, peas.
4.  Serve with rice.

- Shannon

Tomato Sausage Tart

Tomato Sausage Tart

Look at me contributing!  Ha!

We've been experimenting a lot lately.  One dish that even Brian said was good was a sausage tomato tart recipe from allrecipe.com.  Here goes:

Ingrediants:
sausage
tomatos
frozen pie crust
onion
garlic
cheese and seasoning (I used mozzarella and basil but I want to try gouda and dill, swiss and rosemary, Monterey jack and cumin and chili powder, etc)
1 cup light whipped cream
1 egg
1 T Dijon mustard (optional)

1. Cover the bottowm of the pie crust with cheese.
2.  Saute the onion and garlic until the onion is soft.  Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is fully cooked.
3.  In a separate bowl beat the egg.  Add the cream and mustard.  Then add the hot sausage onion mix and stir until well mixed.
4.  Put the sausage mixture over the cheese.
5.  Add a thick layer of sliced tomatos. 
6.  Last layer is another covering of cheese and seasoning.
7.  Bake at 375 for 30-40 min. 

Shannon

Chilaquiles

I first discovered this dish at Hugo's - it was so good I went back the next day to order it again. After returning from that vacation I scoured the internet, looking for the right recipe. After lots of testing, this is what I have come up with.What are chilaquiles, you may ask? Think of it as a Mexican casserole or lasagna. I make this when I want something bold, hearty, and that will last for days.


5-6 large tomatoes
2-3 jalapenos
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 bunch cilantro
sour cream
cojito cheese
1 package white corn tortillas
olive oil


Place tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, 2/3 of the onion and 1/2 the cilantro in a large pot and cover with water. Heat water to boiling, and let simmer 20 minutes. Dump all contents of pot into colander and set aside to cool (do not be concerned that bits of onion or cilantro slip through the colander).


Heat oil in a large skillet. Cut tortillas into six wedges. Working in batches, fry tortillas just until crispy. They do not have to be evenly cooked or even cooked all the way through. Once they have browned and crisped up a bit, you can take them out of the oil. Drain the oil off the cooked tortillas over a paper towel. Continue until all of the tortillas are cooked. (You can use tortilla chips instead, but this is way better. Trust me.)


Peel and core tomatoes and put a blender along with the onions, garlic, and cilantro. Seed the jalapenos, and add those to the blender as well. Blend until smooth. Pour the contents into a large pot and turn heat to medium low. After a few minutes (when the mixture has begun to heat up), stir in the tortillas. Continue stirring until the tortillas are completely coated. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with fresh chopped onions, cilantro, cojito cheese, and sour cream.(Trust me, this is one recipe where you don't want to skip the garnish at the end - the onions, cilantro and cheese add a snap of flavor and the sour cream brings a coolness to a potentially hot dish.)

One more thing: I have seen this served with eggs, chicken, black beans, corn, etc. I am far too lazy to bother with all of that - and I think the dish stands up on its own, but I definitely encourage everyone to try out variations.

Tomatillo Dressing (from Cafe Rio)

1 pkg Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dry mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1-2 tomatillos, peeled
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 jalepeno, de-seeded

*Blend together in a blender until smooth and keep refrigerated.

CPK Chopped Salad

(photo courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen)

SALAD:
1/2 head iceburg lettuce
1/2 romaine lettuce
12 basil leaves, cut in narrow strips
2 cups Italian salami, in thin strips
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped garbanzo beans
4 cups fresh diced tomatoes
3 cups diced turkey breast
2 TB chopped green onions

DRESSING: Herb Mustard Vinaigerette
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced shallot
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups olive oil (mild)
3 TB grated Parmesan cheese

Cranberry Raspberry Salad

(A Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish favorite!)

1. 6oz raspberry jello
2. 1 1/2 cup boiling water
3. 2 10oz pkg frozen raspberries
4. 1 tsp lemon juice
5. 1 pint sour cream
6. 6oz cherry jello
7. 1 cup boiling water
8. 1 20oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
9. 1 16oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
10. 1 small tub Cool whip (Optional)

• Bottom layer: Dissolve (1) in (2). Add (3) and (4). Stir to thaw. Pour into 9x13 dish and refrigerate. When firm go to next step.
• Middle layer: Spread (5) across. Put back in fridge to firm.
• Top layer: Dissolve (6) in (7). Add (8) and (9) and pour on top. Refrigerate. 
• Spread (10) on top is using just before serving.

Jarasiene Salad

1. Wash and chop up a head of lettuce and put in a large bowl. Chop up green onions and 1/2 green bell pepper and add.
2. Boil 6-8 potatoes. Then skin and chop them and add to bowl.
3. Bake or grill link sausage (we use the Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa) for 10 min, turning halfway. Once cooked (or heated through for pre-cooked sausage) slice and also add to bowl.
4. For the dressing use equal parts of Good Seasons Italian and Ranch. Toss and serve.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:  (regular batch/for a large crowd batch)
2 chicken breasts/or 6 chicken breasts
1 small onion/or 2 onions
1/2 pkg curly macaroni/or 2 packages
1 small can pineapple tidbits undrained/or 2 large cans
1 cup green grapes, halved/or 2 cups
1 cup red grapes, halved/or 2 cups
1 cup chopped red apples/or 3 cups chopped apples
3/4 cup chopped celery/or 2 cups
2 green onions chopped/or 4 green onions
1 small can cashew halves and pieces/or 1 large can

Dressing:
1 12oz bottle Coleslaw dressing/or 1 24oz bottle
3/4 cup mayonnaise/or 1 - 1 1/2 cup mayo

Directions:
1) Boil chicken with onion 20-25 minutes. Also prepare macaroni and drain.
2) Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients and start putting them all in a large bowl. For the pineapple, drain the juice over a bowl. After you chop the red apples, place the chunks in the bowl with the pineapple juice (to help reduce browning) and add them at the end.
3) When the chicken is cooked, cut into small pieces and put in the bowl, discarding the onion. For the pasta, once cooked al dente drain and run under cool water before adding to the bowl.
4) In a separate bowl prepare dressing. Then pour it over the pasta salad and toss gently. Keep this refrigerated; may be made in advance and still good next day.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

·      1 16oz package of ziti (or small shells, or penne, whatever)

·      1 jar of your favorite Marinara sauce

·      1 15oz container part-skim Ricotta cheese

·      ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      8 oz park-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1.  If making homemade Marinara sauce, make first.

2.  Meanwhile, in large saucepot cook pasta as label directs to al dente. Drain.

3.  Put pasta back into pot and mix with sauce, until coated. In a separate bowl combine the ricotta, Parmesan, and salt.

4.  Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon half of the pasta mixture into dish. Spread evenly with ricotta mixture and top with remaining pasta. Cover ziti with foil and bake 20 minutes.

5.  Remove foil and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes longer. Serve and enjoy.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

·      1 stick butter

·      1 cup brown sugar

·      ¼ cup whipping cream

·      2 TB sugar

·      2 tsp cinnamon

·      4 small Pillsbury Biscuit tubes

·      ¾ cup crushed pecans

Directions

1.      In a saucepan melt together butter and brown sugar, stirring occasionally.

2.      Meanwhile, open biscuit packages and cut each round biscuit into 4 pieces. In a small shallow bowl combine sugar and cinnamon and roll each bread piece in the mixture.

3.      Check pot. After melted add whipping cream and melt down.

4.      Place in Bundt pan and layer as:

        Sauce – pecans – bread – sauce – bread – sauce – bread

Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes (until bread is cooked).

Breadsticks

(These are a lot like CrazyStix from Little Caears)

Ingredients

·      1 ¼ c flour

·      2 tsp sugar

·      1 ½ tsp baking powder

·      ½ tsp salt

·      2/3 c milk

·      3 TB butter, melted (more optional)

·      Garlic powder

·      Parmesan cheese (the sprinkle kind)

·      Optional: use sesame seeds to sprinkle on for non-garlic breadsticks

Directions

1.      Combine dry ingredients (the first four listed). Slowly add milk and stir with a wooden spoon, stirring to form a soft dough.. Turn onto a well-floured surface and knead 4-5 times.

2.      Roll out a rectangle (1/2 inch thick) and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Place butter in 9x13 glass dish. Place breadsticks in pan and turn them over (to butter both sides). Sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake at 450°13-15 minutes. (Will brown slightly, still should be soft)

Homemade Granola

Ingredients

·      6 cups quick oats

·      1 cup chopped walnuts

·      ½ cup flaked coconut

·      ½ cup sesame seeds

·      ¼ cup flaxseeds

·      2/3 cup veg.oil

·      ½ cup honey

·      ½ cup packed brown sugar

·      2 TB water

·      1 ½ tsp vanilla

Directions

1.      Combine honey, oil, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often. Cook 5 minutes or so, until smooth and see-through.

2.      Toss in a large bowl oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut. Pour liquid over dry mixture and combine.

3.      Grease 2 cookie sheets and bake at 275 degrees for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Then remove, and cool. Then break and store in airtight container.

Kay's Jambalaya

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 TB butter
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup long-grain rice
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp bottled hot sauce
1 bay leaf
1-2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1-2 cups cooked sliced Italian sausage (heat via your preference)
1-2 cups cooked shrimp

Directions:
In a large skillet cook celery, onion, and pepper in butter until veggies are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, rice, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 20 minutes. Add chicken and sausage and continue cooking until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Add shrimp last. (She usually doubles this recipe)

Kay's Oatmeal Cake

1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups hot water
*Mix these together and set aside while you mix the rest)*

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
*Cream shortening and sugars together. Sift dry ingredients and add along with eggs. Add oatmeal mixture last. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

*Then mix 1 sq. butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 TB+ milk. Cook for 1 minute.
*Add 1 cup coconut and 1 cup nuts. Pour over cake and broil for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully!

Kay's Roll Dough

(My mother-in-law makes these at holidays. It makes a HUGE batch, but they are the best rolls ever)

Ingredients:
4 Cups reconstituted dried milk, lukewarm
1 cup sugar
4 cakes dried yeast (or 4 TB)
4 eggs
4 tsp salt
1 cup cooking oil
14 cups sifted flour (can be mixed 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white)

Directions:
1) Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm milk. When yeast becomes active, add well beaten eggs and enough flour to make a medium batter. Beat well and let set until bubbles begin to form.
2) Beat in the salt and cooking oil, then add rest of flour, beating well. When too thick to beat, pour onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. (The secret of this dough is to use only enough flour to be able to handle it. It should be as soft as possible, almost sticky.)
3) Place in greased bowl and cover with damp cloth. let rise until double in bulk and punch down well. Let rise again. Then make into whatever shape of rolls you like and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.